A Strong and Effective Initiative by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to Curb Pollution

CM Lays Foundation Stone for Automated Testing Station at Tehkhand Depot

Chief Minister Flags Off 50 New Modern E-Buses

New Fitness Testing Centre with an Annual Capacity of 72,000 Vehicles to Strengthen Delhi’s Transparent, Technology-Driven Transport Infrastructure

1,350 New E-Buses Added in Eight Months: Record Progress Compared to Just 2,000 Buses in the Previous 11 Years, says CM Rekha Gupta

New Delhi, Nov 2025 : Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta today laid the foundation stone of an Automated Testing Station (ATS) at the DTC Tehkhand Depot in South Delhi and flagged off 50 new electric buses. The event marked a significant milestone in the government’s efforts to build a cleaner, greener, and more transparent transport system in the national capital.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that within a span of just eight months, the Delhi Government has made extraordinary progress in the transport sector. She highlighted the historic measures undertaken to make vehicle fitness testing modern, transparent, and fully digital. These steps, she noted, will greatly enhance Delhi’s environmental quality and transport efficiency in the coming years.

The Chief Minister emphasised that this major initiative will play a crucial role in reducing pollution in the city. She added that commercial vehicles are among the biggest contributors to pollution in Delhi and that robust, technology-driven emission testing is essential for effective pollution control.

Transport Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh, MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Councillor Sugandha Bidhuri, senior officials of the Transport Department, and other dignitaries were present at the event.

ATS to Bring Historic Improvement in Delhi’s Transport System

The Chief Minister said that vehicular emissions remain one of the most significant contributors to Delhi’s air pollution. She pointed out that Delhi has nearly 6.5 lakh commercial vehicles requiring an annual fitness certificate, yet the system had been neglected for decades.

She noted that earlier the capital had only one centre at Jhundpura, with a limited testing capacity of just 47,000 vehicles. This forced lakhs of vehicle owners to travel to NCR cities for fitness testing. She stated that previous governments left Delhi’s transport arrangements in deep disarray.

The Chief Minister underlined that within just eight months, the current Delhi Government has introduced modern, transparent, and fully digital systems for vehicle fitness testing reforms that will have far-reaching benefits for both the environment and the transport network.

She informed that Delhi’s first Automated Testing Station at Nand Nagri is rapidly nearing completion and will have an annual capacity of around 72,000 vehicles. Designed to be fully digital and free from human intervention, the centre will ensure a transparent, reliable, and time-efficient fitness certification process. This will bring significant relief to lakhs of vehicle owners and contribute meaningfully to the city’s pollution-control efforts.

She further announced that Delhi’s second fully automated station, with a capacity of 73,000 vehicles annually, was inaugurated today at Tehkhand. With this, the city’s total fitness-testing capacity has effectively doubled.

Meanwhile, the existing centres at Burari and Jhundpura are being upgraded with state-of-the-art technology and modern standards. After the upgradation, Delhi will be able to conduct fully automated fitness tests for more than one lakh vehicles every year.

Transport Minister Dr Pankaj Kumar Singh shared that the Tehkhand ATS has been built at a cost of ₹10 crore. It will conduct fully digital, automated checks of brakes, suspension, underbody components, headlights, axles, and emissions, and is expected to generate approximately ₹3 crore in annual revenue.

50 New Electric Buses Added to Delhi’s Fleet

During the programme, the Chief Minister dedicated 50 new electric buses to the public, 30 twelve-metre buses and 20 nine-metre low-floor air-conditioned buses. All buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, panic buttons, GPS, and accessibility-friendly infrastructure.

The Chief Minister said that while the previous government added only 2,000 electric buses in 11 years, the present government has inducted 1,350 e-buses in just eight months, a clear testimony to its resolve and effective policies. She added that interstate bus services and university youth special buses which had been discontinued by the previous administration have been resumed by the current government.

The Chief Minister reaffirmed that the Delhi Government is committed to providing every resident with safe, modern, and environmentally friendly transport. Metro expansion, growth of the electric bus fleet, automated testing stations, and enhanced technology-driven governance are all key components of this vision. She concluded by stating that although the challenges are many, the government’s determination is unwavering. The effort to improve Delhi every single day will continue without pause.

AUTOMATED TESTING STATION(ATS) AT DTC TEHKHAND DEPOT.
• The foundation stone for the Automated Testing Station (ATS) at Nand Nagri Depot was laid by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi on 17.07.2025, and the construction work is presently in progress.
• In continuation of this initiative and to expand automated vehicle testing facilities across the city, Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is now establishing another ATS in South Delhi at Tehkhand Depot.
• Foundation Stone Laying of a state-of-the-art, fully automated 2ndAutomated Testing Station (ATS)DTC Tehkhand Depot.
• As per the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, every transport vehicle must obtain a Fitness Certificate. The Government of India has mandated that such testing be conducted only through Automated Testing Stations, to ensure uniformity, transparency, and reliability.
• This facility embodies vision of a modern, automated, and fair vehicle fitness testing system, where there is zero human intervention and 100% digital efficiency.
• Delhi currently has over 1.53 crore registered vehicles. Approximately 6.5 lakh commercial vehicles require fitness tests each year. However, with only one operational ATSs at Jhuljhuli, only 47,919 vehicles are being tested annually.
• The 2ndATS at DTC Tehkhand Depot will bridge this gap with modern infrastructure and advanced testing technology.
• ICAT(International Centre for Automotive Technology), a Government of India agency, will be engaged as technical consultant, ensuring adherence to G.O.I standards and best practices.
• Its key features of ATS at DTC Tehkhand include:
 Four-lane automated vehicle fitness testing system(HMV-Two Lanes, LMV- One Lane and 2-Wheeler- One Lane)
 Automated Testing of vehicles will be conducted. Following tests viz-a-viz. Emission Test, Roller Brake Test, Front & Rear suspension test, Underbody Inspection and Head Light test will be conducted.
 40m x 26m pre-engineered building with 8 rooms, toilet block, pantry, and panel room.
 Civil Infrastructure work is under progress. The tender for procurement of testing equipment for ATS has been prepared by Technical Consultant(ICAT).
 Capacity to test 72,000 vehicles per annum (including 20,000 two wheelers)
 The ATS is expected to generate estimated revenue of ₹3 Crores annually for DTC.
 Tentative Project Cost: ₹10 Crores(approx.). Funds have been sanctioned under Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) of G.O.I.
FLAG OFF OF NEW E-BUSES
• Today, _ number of new electric buses will be added to the electric fleet, reinforcing Delhi’s position as a national leader in clean public transport.
• The addition of new Electric buses will reinforce Delhi’s position as a national leader in clean public transport.
• These E-Buses are low-floor, air-conditioned vehicles specially designed to provide comfortable services to commuters of Delhi.
• These buses are equipped with modern passenger amenities including CCTV cameras, panic buttons, real-time tracking, and accessible features for the differently-abled.